Friday, June 21, 2013

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD BYE

Congratulations and good luck to all of Middletown High School's Class of 2013.  I especially want to congratulate the graduates of our NJROTC program.  For four long years you (most of you) have persisted in a program that I am sure, at times, you found annoying, distracting, and of questionable value.  I hope you also found some value in being a member of the unit and that you formed some friendships that will grow as you move into the future.  While most of you will never again need to know what is the preferred extinguishing method for a class "C" fire, or what is the correct method for determining the CPA of a contact, I hope that you might one day look back at your time as a cadet and find that you really did get something extra out of your participation. 

Please remember that Master Sergeant and I are proud of each of you.  Good luck to you in whatever the future brings!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

NEW CADET CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Cadet Lieutenant Eric "Baby Boats" Barone who correctly identified the EDK as the European Death Knot, actually a bend formed by laying two parts of a line together and then tying an overhand knot.  Good Job!

Are you looking forward to a long, lazy summer?  Not so fast.  Here is the first of a series of cadet challenges that I will pose through the course of the summer:

EDK?  IDK.  Who knows?  Better find out. 

This challenge is open ended, but will be the first qualifying challenge to the year-end challenge to be held in May of 2014.  If you have the correct answer, stop by and show me.  Master sergeant and I will be here daily.  Remember that movement through the building is very restricted during Regents' testing.  


Friday, June 7, 2013

LATE ENTRY--MILITARY BALL

On Friday, 31 May, members of the Middletown High School NJROTC Corps of Cadets gathered with guests of the mess to hold their 25th annual military ball.  The cadet company commander, C/LCDR Jessica Glickman, as Mess President, was host for the evening.  C/LTJG Roberto Soriano served as Mister Vice.  Here are a few of the many pieces of photographic evidence documenting the affair:


The Mess President's opening remarks.

Traditional Parading of the Chicken Marsala


Our DJ (With headphones bigger that Matt Ferrara's!)


The young lady in the lower right apparently has something to say.



The guilty must be punished.



The Happy Dance.  (Not pictured:  Commander Wall)

Dr Hans Sebald, our Guest of Honor, and the head table rise in response to a formal toast.


Where were you?  The new XO wants to know.


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

CHANGE OF COMMAND AND END OF YEAR AWARD CEREMONY

Last night our JROTC unit held our annual year-end award ceremony and change of command.  Awards were presented to outstanding cadets in a variety of categories and the leadership team was announced.  Congratulations to all and best wishes to Cadet Corrine Jewell, our new commanding officer, and Cadet Eric Barone, our new XO.

Our unit colors are passed from C/LCDR Jessica Glickman, our outgoing CO, to C/LCDR Corrinne Jewell, our new cadet commanding officer.  Cadet Master Chief Zacharia Nyaware (now C/ENS) is seen rendering the appropriate salute at the pasing of the colors.